Amarillo, Texas – The Texas–Oklahoma Panhandle is entering a prolonged stretch of elevated winter weather concern as lingering cold across the Southern Plains keeps the potential for additional snowstorms in play through mid-February, following one of the most expansive winter systems of the season.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, temperatures across the Panhandles are expected to remain below normal through the Feb. 7–20 period. With cold air firmly entrenched and a steady storm track crossing the Southwest and Southern Plains, forecasters indicate there is roughly a 50–50 chance that one or more systems could bring accumulating snow, blowing snow, or mixed winter precipitation to the region during this window.
The renewed concern follows Winter Storm Fern, a massive system that swept from Texas to Maine and delivered heavy snow across parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Fern reinforced a cold-dominated pattern across the Plains, increasing the likelihood that future systems could strengthen as they move east into the Panhandles.
If additional storms develop, communities from Amarillo and Canyon to Dalhart, Pampa, Guymon, and Boise City could face rapidly deteriorating travel conditions. Open stretches of Interstate 40, U.S. 287, and U.S. 54 are especially vulnerable to whiteout conditions when strong winds combine with falling or blowing snow.
State transportation and emergency management officials are urging residents to prepare now by reviewing winter travel plans, securing livestock and property, and keeping vehicles stocked with cold-weather supplies. While no single storm is guaranteed, forecasters stress that the overall pattern supports continued winter threats. Additional advisories and warnings may be issued as confidence increases, with cold air and the potential for impactful snow remaining a concern across the Texas–Oklahoma Panhandle through mid-February.
